World Bee Day: 70 of the Top 100 Food Crops Worldwide Rely on Pollinators like Bees

Posted on 20 May 2020

Without bees we may have to say goodbye to food such as apples, almonds, oranges and avocados.

World Bee Day! There are over 20,000 species of bees. As pollinators, bees play a vital part in the ecosystem. They support the growth of trees and flowers which serve as food and shelter for creatures large & small, and they are crucial to food crops that people depend. It might sound unbelievable, but without bees we may have to say goodbye to food such as apples, almonds, oranges and avocados. 70 of the top 100 food crops grown worldwide rely on pollinators like bees.

WWF-CEE is working to restore and preserve habitats where bees can flourish, as well as cooperating with wildlife experts and beekeepers to introduce non-violent large carnivore deterrence to protect beehives. WWF-Romania has another project, pending funding approval, called BeeActive.

BeeActive Project
Pollination is essential to maintaining life, but bees and other pollinating insects are in global decline. The situation is no different in Central and Eastern Europe. BeeActive aims to mobilise a critical mass of citizens, especially young people, to actively support measures to improve pollinator conservation policies.

The WWF-Romania-NINA partnership has 3 objectives, to:
1) establish and promote a dialogue among stakeholders and strengthen NGO capacity by creating an informal alliance for the conservation of pollinators;
2) inform and debate with the relevant authorities on the necessity of elaborating an action plan for the conservation of pollinators, and on financing measures through the Common Agricultural Policy for the benefit of pollinators; and
3) implement an integrated citizen awareness and education programme on the importance of pollinator conservation.

Target groups include authorities, NGOs, the general public, beekeepers, researchers and farmers.

This World Bee Day let's appreciate and protect the humble bee.

WWF-CEE is working to restore and preserve habitats where bees can flourish.